Deputy of the St. Petersburg Workers

Published:PravdaNo. 144, October 16, 1912.

      Signed:I..

      Published according to thePravdatext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,[1975],

      Moscow,Volume 18,

      pages347-348.Translated:Stepan ApresyanTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Theproletariat of the capital is sending one of its
elected representatives into the reactionary Duma of the landlords and
priests. It is a glorious position this representative will hold. He will
have to speak and act on behalf of millions; he will have to unfurl a great
banner; he will have to voice the views that for years have been expressed
in formal, specific, precise terms by the responsible spokesmen of Marxism
and working-class democracy.

Theelection of someone to that position is a matter of such vast
importance that it would be petty, cowardly and disgraceful to be afraid to
speak of it straightforwardly, without beating about the bush, to be afraid
of “offending” a particular individual, a particular circle, etc.

Theelection should accord with the will of the majority of the
class-conscious, Marxist workers. That is obvious. Nobody would venture to
deny thisoutright.

Everyoneknows that from 1908 to 1912 a fight was waged among the
St. Petersburg workers between the opponents of liquidationism and the
liquidators at hundreds and thou sands of meetings, discussions and talks,
and in various press organs. It would be unseemly for anyone to bury his
head in the sand like an ostrich and try to “forget” this fact.

Thingsare being muddled up by those who today are shouting about
“unity” over the election ofonedeputy, for they are raising
the wrong issue andobscuringthe essential point by their
shouting.

Whathas “unity” to do with it when it is necessary to electoneperson and all are agreed that he must express the will of the
majority of the class-conscious worker Marxists??

Theliquidators are afraid to say plainly that they would like the
choice to be a liquidator or a “non-factionalist” (i.e., a waverer). And
since they are afraid to defend their viewsopenly, they are
trying to smuggle them through bydeceit, by shouting about
“unity”.

Itis our duty to expose this confusion. If the liquidators are in a
majority among the class-conscious workers, no one on earth can prevent
them from electing a liquidator. We must establish as accurately, calmly,
firmly, prudently and certainly as possible which side has the majority,
with out bothering about the outcries of people who,after five years
of struggle, are advocating “unity” (a few days before the
elections!) in order to conceal their views.

Theworkers are not children to believe a fairy-tale like that. Only
one of three possible decisions can be adopted:
(1) to choose a liquidator;
(2) to choose an opponent of liquidationism;
(3) to choose a waverer. There have been no others among the
Social-Democrats during the five years between 1908 and 1912, nor are there
any today!

Workerswho want to act as adult and independent people must not
tolerate political strike-breakers in their midst. They must see to it that
the will of the majority of class-conscious workers is respected and
executed.

Theworkers need a deputy who will express the will of the majority and
will know for certainwhatwork he will carry out in and outside
the Duma.

Thewill of the majority has been stated, and the deputy for
St. Petersburg should be a determined opponent of liquidationism and a
supporter of consistent working-class democracy.